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Black Nights 2021 – Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event

Country Focus: Estonia

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event unveils its Works in Progress projects

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- 19 films in production or post-production, currently on the lookout for sales agents or festivals for premieres, will be presented in three showcases from 23-24 November

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event unveils its Works in Progress projects
Director Triin Ruumet, who is taking part in Baltic Event Works in Progress with Dark Paradise

Finally returning to a physical format this year, the industry sidebar of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, is ready to showcase 19 new projects in production or post-production, currently on the lookout for sales agents or festivals for international premieres. The titles, helmed by award-winning directors as well as emerging filmmakers and representing a variety of genres, will be presented in the three traditional Works in Progress showcases – International, Baltic Event and Just Film – from 23-24 November. In addition to the live event taking place at the Coca Cola Plaza cinema, the presentations will also be available on the industry.poff.ee website.

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Baltic Event Works in Progress will be taking place for the 19th time and will include eight new projects. Talking about this year’s line-up, programme manager of Baltic Event Works in Progress Maria Ulfsak praised its diversity: “We have veteran directors and debuts, comedies and historical dramas on difficult topics, so there are a lot of very different projects of different genres this year. But we are very proud of the fact that five out of the eight films in Baltic Event Works in Progress are directed by talented female directors.” In detail, the regional showcase will see the participation of three Estonian projects: Triin Ruumet’s Dark Paradise [+see also:
film review
interview: Triin Ruumet
film profile
]
, Rain Rannu’s Child Machine and Mart Kivastik’s Stairway to Heaven. Latvia will be represented by three more projects: Linda Olte’s drama Sisters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 (co-produced with Italy), Ināra Kolmane’s historical drama Soviet Milk and Elza Gauja’s road movie Keep Smiling, Mom!. Finally, Lithuania will join proceedings with Parade [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Titas Laucius
film profile
]
, directed by Titas Laucius and produced by Klementina Remeikaite (the Orizzonti winner Pilgrims [+see also:
film review
interview: Laurynas Bareisa
film profile
]
).

Meanwhile, the seventh International Works in Progress showcase will feature George Ovashvili’s drama Beautiful Helen (Georgia/Turkey/France), Academy Award nominee Jan Sverak’s Bethlehem Light (Czech Republic/UK), Pyotr Todorovskiy’s drama Intensive Care (Russia), Natalia Sinelnikova’s absurd drama We Might as Well Be Dead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Natalia Sinelnikova
film profile
]
(Germany), Dustin Brown’s drama Solidarity (USA/Lithuania) and Mikel Gurrea’s drama Suro [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikel Gurrea
film profile
]
(Spain).

The jury of the Baltic Event and International Works in Progress will be presided over by Charles Bin (partner and sales manager at Brussels-based international sales outfit Best Friend Forever), Torsten Frehse (CEO and buyer for Neue Visionen and founder of Pluto Film) and Alena Shumakova (programmer of the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight). On this occasion, Works in Progress sponsor Asymmetric Studios will award the Asymmetric Studios Best Visual Effects Award to the best project in either the Baltic Event or the International Works in Progress showcases, consisting of a €5,000 cash prize, as well as up to €10,000 in in-kind services.

As at previous editions, the Just Film Works in Progress showcase will focus on children- and youth-orientated projects. The five selected titles are Marta Selecka and Andra DorssBOOM! (Latvia/Estonia), Aglaya Nabatnikova’s Devka-Baba (Russia), Federico Schmukler’s Felipe [+see also:
film review
film profile
]
(Argentina/Spain/France/Guatemala) Florencia Wehbe’s Paula (Argentina/Italy) and Yana Skopina’s Summer Ends Soon (Russia/Kazakhstan). The jury of this section will include Gloria Morano (head of the Young Audiences Programme at the Luxembourg City Film Festival), Joe Ursell (curation manager at the UK’s Into Film) and Alasdair Satchel (a film and theatre artist and film educator). The best project will receive a €1,000 cash prize to cover promotion and publicity expenses.

Here is the full list of selected titles:

Baltic Event Works in Progress

Child MachineRain Rannu (Estonia)
Producers: Tõnu Hiielaid, Rain Rannu
Production company: Tallifornia

Dark Paradise [+see also:
film review
interview: Triin Ruumet
film profile
]
Triin Ruumet (Estonia/France)
Producer: Elina Litvinova
Co-producer: Jeremy Forni
Production companies: Three Brothers, Chevaldeuxtrois

Keep Smiling, Mom!Elza Gauja (Latvia)
Producers: Andris Gauja, Elza Gauja, Marta Bite
Production company: Riverbed

Light Light LightInari Niemi (Finland)
Producer: Oskari Huttu
Production company: Lucy Loves Drama Oy

Parade [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Titas Laucius
film profile
]
 – Titas Laucius (Lithuania)
Producer: Klementina Remeikaite
Production company: afterschool production

Sisters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
Linda Olte (Latvia/Italy)
Producers: Matiss Kaza, Una Celma, Dace Siatkovska
Co-producers: Thomas Menghin, Wilfried Gufler, Debora Nischler
Production companies: Fenixfilm, Albolina Film

Soviet MilkInāra Kolmane (Latvia)
Producers: Jānis Juhņēvičs, Marta Romanova-Jēkabsone
Production company: Film Studio DEVIŅI

Stairway to HeavenMart Kivastik (Estonia)
Producers: Marju Lepp, Manfred Vainokivi
Production company: Filmivabrik

International Works in Progress

Beautiful HelenGeorge Ovashvili (Georgia/Turkey/France)
Producer: George Ovashvili
Co-producers: Mesut Ulutaş, Guillaume de Seille
Production company: Wagonnet Films (Georgia)

Bethlehem LightJan Sverak (Czech Republic/UK)
Producer: Jan Sverak
Co-producer: Eric Abraham
Production companies: Biograf Jan Sverak, Portobello Productions, Czech Television

Intensive CarePyotr Todorovskiy (Russia)
Producers: Valeriy Fedorovich, Evgeniy Nikishov
Production company: 1-2-3 Production

SolidarityDustin Brown (USA/Lithuania)
Producers: Dustin Brown, Daniel Dreifuss
Co-producers: Daniel Leighton, Kaiulani Bush, Mantas Valantiejus
Production companies: Dustin Todd Films, Midnight Lantern Productions

Suro [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikel Gurrea
film profile
]
Mikel Gurrea (Spain)
Producers: Laura Rubirola, Sergi Moreno, Tono Folguera, Clàudia Maluenda, Xabi Berzosa
Production companies: Lastor Media, Malmo Pictures, Irusoin

We Might as Well Be Dead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Natalia Sinelnikova
film profile
]
Natalia Sinelnikova (Germany)
Producer: Julia Wagner
Co-producer: Magdalena Wolff
Production companies: HEARTWAKE Films, Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

Just Film Works in Progress

Boom!Marta Selecka and Andra Dorss (Latvia/Estonia)
Producers: Ugis Riekstins, Elina Zazerska
Production company: Picture house

Devka-BabaAglaya Nabatnikova (Russia)
Producer: Victoria Lupik
Production company: Anniko Films

Felipe [+see also:
film review
film profile
]
Federico Schmukler (Argentina/Spain/France/Guatemala)
Producer: Julieta Sánchez Sananez
Co-producers: Carlo D’Ursi Fortunato, Jayro Bustamante, Gustavo Matheu Paredes, Georges Renand
Production companies: Brujas Producciones, Potenza Producciones, La casa de producción, Les films du volcan

PaulaFlorencia Wehbe (Argentina/Italy)
Producers: Fernanda Rocca, Claudio Esposito
Production companies: Bombilla Cine, The Piranesi Experience

Summer Ends SoonYana Skopina (Russia/Kazakhstan)
Producers: Ardak Kassymbek, Yerkezhan Maksut, Tamara Bogdanova
Production companies: KINOKULT, UVENT Production

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